Apparatus for text-to-speech delivery and method therefor

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for determining the manner in which a navigation device should produce sounds from data is described. One embodiment, includes a device for synthesizing sounds from digital sound files, and re-producing pre-recorded sounds from a database of text-based indicators. The invention can be further capable of repeatedly determining physical conditions, e.g. current GPS location, which are compared to reference values such that a positive comparison gives rise to an event requiring a sound to be produced. The method includes a user selection of what events or physical conditions trigger a sound, and the type of sound to be audibly delivered which can be digitally synthesize sounds or pre-recorded sounds stored on the device or a combination of the two.

BACKGROUND

TTS software is well known. Typically, a TTS engine is capable of decoding or interpreting a simple text or word-processor originated document (e.g. “.txt”, “.doc” etc.) and converting what is essentially a binary representation of the text into an alternate binary representation in the form of instructions to a sound processor which ultimately delivers the appropriate electric signals to a conventional loudspeaker. The interpretation of the original text document, regardless of whether this is discrete in that it only contains a short phrase or name, or whether it is more expansive and contains one or more paragraphs of text, may typically involve analysis at a granular level, e.g. consonants, vowels and syllables, and may also include grammar and punctuation analysis such that the resulting synthetic speech produced with the correct inflections and intonations and thus sounds as realistic as possible.

In general, there are two methods of synthesizing speech using electronic hardware and software. In concatenative synthesis, synthesized speech is created by concatenating pieces of pre-recorded speech that are stored in a database. Systems differ in the size of the stored speech units; a system that stores only smaller phones or diphones will provide the largest output range, but may lack clarity whereas the storage of entire words or sentences allows for high-quality output. Alternatively in formant synthesis, a synthesizer incorporates a model of the vocal tract and other human voice characteristics to create a completely “synthetic” voice output. Parameters such as fundamental frequency, voicing, and noise levels are varied over time to create a waveform of artificial speech. This method is sometimes called rules-based synthesis; however, many concatenative systems also have rules-based components.

One of the most common usages of speech synthesis since its inception has been to allow blind or partially sighted people to comprehend the written word. More recently, a plethora of modern devices, indeed any device with relatively modest processing power and memory such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), more advanced mobile phones such as so-called smart-phones, games consoles, and in-car satellite navigation systems (SNS) allow some facility for either playing pre-recorded snippets of human voices, or executing TTS software for interpreting any text or word-processed document instantly stored on the device.

This invention has particular application to in-car SNS devices, and although the following description is almost exclusively directed thereto, it will be readily appreciated by the skilled reader that the application of the invention may be of far wider scope, and should not be considered limited by the specific description.

In-car SNS devices have become widespread in the previous 5 or so years, and most devices include both one or more map databases for particular countries, and a capacity for storing a number of pre-recorded phrases, possibly in a variety of different voices, e.g. male, female, and at differing pitches or with different levels of gravitas or jollity. Furthermore, many devices also permit the user to record such phrases in his or her own voice, and there may be a simple routine in the operating software of the device to instruct the user to consecutively record each and every phrase which is required for the correct operation of the device. For instance, the user may be asked to record a variety of different phrases or spoken word snippets such as “Turn Left”, “Turn Right”, “After 400 metres”, etc., and once the recording is complete, the operating software of the device ensures that the user's voice snippets are selected for playback at the appropriate time, as opposed to the default or previously selected pre-recorded snippets. Such technology has been available in terms of mobile phones for some time, albeit on a simpler basis, wherein a user may record their own voice and substitute this recording for the default ringtone of the device when a particular person, or indeed any person makes a call to the mobile phone.

The above pre-recorded systems are generally more than adequate for the majority of route navigation operations, but limited in that they do not offer the facility for audible identification of non-standard or country-specific information.

It is therefore an object of this invention to overcome this disadvantage, and provide a more comprehensive audio solution for, among other devices, in-car SNS.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to the present invention, there is provided a processor-enabled device for producing sounds from data, said device having:

means for processing sounds digitally and means for audible delivery thereof

memory in which is stored a database of a plurality data at least some of which is in the form of text-based indicators, and one or more pre-recorded sounds,

data transfer means by which the data is transferred between the processor of the device and said memory, and

operating system software which controls the processing and flow of data betwixt processor and memory, and whether said sounds are audibly reproduced

said device further being capable of repeatedly determining one or more physical conditions which are compared with one or more reference values provided in memory such that a positive result of the comparison gives rise to an event requiring a sound to be produced by the device,

characterised in that

the device further includes a TTS software component which interacts with the operating system or a program executing thereon, said operating system or program making the determination, according to user input, whether the event should be audibly identified by means of

one or more pre-recorded sounds stored on the device,

a sound digitally rendered by the TTS component from a text-based indicator retrieved from the database and appropriate for the event, or

a combination of the above.

In a preferred embodiment, the operating system or program executing thereon is provided with further, more specific user input to permit a selection of the type of events which are to be audibly identified to the user. In particular the operating system of program executing thereon preferably presents a set of options of different types of event which can be selected or de-selected, depending on user preference.

Most preferably, the device is provided with Global Positioning System (GPS) means which include time signal retrieval means, said device thus being capable of determining its physical global location, velocity and acceleration (by performing averaging calculations over time), and the events which are ideally audibly identified to a user are direction instructions as the device (and thus user carrying said device or moving in a vehicle in which said device is installed) moves along a predetermined or pre-programmed route.

Most preferably the data is representative of one or more maps of a thoroughfare network, such as the road network of a particular country or region.

Preferably, the data is provided with a variety of different additional data derived from the map(s) which, during the journey, the user may or may not wish to be audibly informed about, such as street names, road numbers, building numbers, Points of Interest (POIs), Signposts. In the case of streetnames, such can only be audibly identified to the user by means of the TTS component.

In a preferred embodiment, the device is further provided with means for determining ambient conditions such as temperature and pressure (information about which may be present in the GPS signal), and additionally the device may be provided with secondary radio-telecommunication means which allow the device to determine traffic conditions along particular sections of a thoroughfare network represented by the data and to receive messages and other information over a pre-existing network, e.g. a mobile telecommunications network or a radio network.

In a desired embodiment, the invention also permits a user to make a selection whether warnings retrieved over such networks are audible, e.g. incoming SMS or other messages such as weather or traffic information.

In a yet further preferred embodiment, the device also permits user selection of whether device-based operational events are audibly identified, for example device operation tips and device tutorial instruction texts.

Most preferably, the device includes user interface means, preferably graphical user interface means, and the operating system or program executing thereon causes the display of one or more option selection pages by means of which the device can be informed whether to digitally render sound by means of the TTS component for one or more different event types requiring audible notification to the user, whether to recall one or more pre-recorded sounds to notify such events, or whether a combination of these operative embodiments is required.

In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of determining the manner in which a processor-enabled device should producing sounds from data, said device having:

means for synthesizing sounds digitally, and re-producing pre-recorded sounds, together with means for audible delivery thereof

memory in which is stored a database of a plurality data at least some of which is in the form of text-based indicators, and one or more pre-recorded sounds,

data transfer means by which the data is transferred between the processor of the device and said memory, and

operating system software which controls the processing and flow of data betwixt processor and memory, and whether said sounds are audibly reproduced

said device further being capable of repeatedly determining one or more physical conditions which are compared with one or more reference values provided in memory such that a positive result of the comparison gives rise to an event requiring a sound to be produced by the device,

characterised in that

the method includes the steps of

offering a selection to the user of the type of sound required to be audibly delivered, and, dependent on the user selection, either

enabling a TTS software component to interact with the operating system or a program executing thereon such that for at least one event, sounds are digitally synthesized from one or more text-based indicators retrieved from the database, or

one or more pre-recorded sounds stored on the device are reproduced for said at least one event, or

a combination of the above.

Preferably, in the case where a user makes a selection that sounds made by device in response to various events should consist exclusively of pre-recorded sounds stored on the device, the method includes the steps of warning a user that certain events will not be audibly identified to said user, for example the identification of street names.

Preferably, in an alternative embodiment in the case where a user makes a selection that one or more events should be audibly notified to the user by means of synthesized sounds, the method includes the further step of providing a plurality of further event options which, depending on selection, the user may wish to have audibly identified. Examples include street names, building numbers, road numbers, incoming radio-telecommunications messages such as traffic, weather, or mobile network messages, POI warnings, device operation tips, device tutorial texts, signpost notifications.

The invention also covers a computer program, whether an operating system or a program intended for execution on a pre-existing operating system, for providing the above functionality to a processor-enabled device.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-6 show sample screen shots from an In-car SNS adapted according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In-car SNS devices will generally include a touch-screen graphical user interface (GUI), which, in normal operation, will display a route currently being navigated by the user. During configuration of such devices however, the user will be presented with a number of different option screens, some of which are shown in FIG. 1-6.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a “Select a Voice” screen in which various graphics and text, generally indicated at 2 indicate to the user that it is possible to select a pre-recorded voice (identified as “Kate”) for the audible notification of events. The screen also displays graphical “buttons” 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 which, when the user touches the screen in the region of these buttons, allow the user to test the voice, delete the voice (along with the previously stored pre-recorded sounds), to select the shown voice, or to scroll back and forth through other pre-recorded voice profiles.

Once the user chooses a particular pre-recorded human voice, a screen such as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed warning the user that street names retrieved from the map database and telecommunications messages received by the device cannot be read out aloud by the device. Of course, it would impractical, not to mention impossible to pre-record a human voice verbalising each and every street name in a particular country.

In the alternative, if a user selects a computer-generated voice (which effectively amounts to instructing the device to digitally synthesize speech from text-based indicators extracted from the map database, in the case of street names and the like, or from simple text such as is included in the messages received by the device), then a screen such as that shown in FIG. 3 may be shown by the device.

In this particular instance, additional options screens such as those shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are presented to the user (entitled “Speech Preferences” screens), and various event options may be selected or de-selected by the user so that the device audibly identifies the particular events selected by the user and not others.

In FIG. 6, a further option screen demonstrates that the user may yet further specify not only the type of event of which the device is to audibly notify him, but also the extent and type of notification which the device is to give. For example, full or abbreviated spoken warnings may be given, a simple sound effect may suffice, or the user may wish to type in some text which the device converts into synthesized speech.

In general operation of the device, route instructions, i.e. those instructions which the device provides to a user to facilitate navigation from one position to a pre-determined destination entered in the device by the user, will be audibly identified according to the user selection of human voice or computer-generated (synthesized) voice. A computer generated voice will read out at least the same sentences as a Human voice. Depending on the settings, street names can be appended to the route instruction and road numbers, signposts and other indicators can be read out to the user.

The following pages provide examples of the particular phrases which may be spoken by the device, and how they may be constructed:

Single instructions: “After 500 meters turn left—Rembrandtplein”; “Turn left—A4”; “Turn left—A4 towards Utrecht for 31 miles”

Combines instructions: “After 500 meters turn left—Rembrandtplein—then turn right—Amstelstraat”; “Take the exit -6-, then take the motorway—A9”;

Single instructions: “Turn left—A4”

In the case where it is desired for the device to audibly indicate distances, then if a metric system is preferred (miles instead of KM) and the current voice is an American TTS voice, the following distances will be read out:

[150 feet, 250 feet, one half mile one quarter mile]

Example:

“After one half mile, turn left”

When joining a motorway on which the user will travel for a certain time, the TTS voice will audibly inform the user about how long he will stay on the same road, by reading out the following: “Follow <road> for <distance>”, e.g.

“Follow A10 for 3.6 KM”

“Follow A10 for 37 miles”

The conditions for giving this instruction are:

-   -   Speech Preferences setting “read aloud road numbers” must be ON.     -   The last (final) instruction was at least 15 seconds ago.     -   You are on the road the instruction is about (not on a slip or         feeder road).     -   The distance from this point to the next instructions is twice         as long as the distance to the point where the next instruction         will be given, or at least 1500 meters to the next warning.         These restrictions may be simply applied in software.

The <distance> variable is the distance to the next instruction, unless the next instruction is one of the following: “Go straight on”, “keep left”, “keep right”

EXAMPLE

The user drives onto a road called A2;

After 10 KM there is a reminder at a bifurcation (“keep left”), and 20 KM later the planned route necessitates taking the exit;

In this case, the <distance> that will be given when entering the A2, is 30 KM, even though the next instruction (“keep left—A2”), is already given after 10 KM.

Such operation, again implemented in computer program code, is intended to reduce the amount of information delivered to the user. When street names/road numbers/exits/signposts are read out, they can be spoken too often. To reduce the amount of text the TTS voice will read out to you, the following rules have been implemented:

-   -   The same <name> will NOT be said again with 30 seconds, where         <name>=signpost/road number/exit number/street name     -   For roads that have early warnings, the street names/road         numbers/exits/signpost are always spoken in the early warning.         They can also be spoken in the following warning as well, but         this may be overruled by the 30-second above rule. If so, it is         spoken again at the final warning (which may be overruled by the         30-seconds rule as well).

Example:

-   -   “Exit ahead 6, towards Vieuten” (early warning     -   “After 800 yards, take the exit” (not spoken, because 30-seconds         rule)     -   “Take the exit, 6, towards Vieuten”Or     -   “Ahead, keep right, A2, towards Utrecht” (early warning)     -   “After 800 meters, keep right, A2, towards Utrecht” (more than         30 seconds in between)     -   “Keep right”

For other type of roads (“Inner city”), it usually desirable to hear the street name at the crossing. In this case the rule is to only speak the warning at the crossing. However, this warning is sometimes not read out at all, if the previous warning took too long. In some embodiments therefore, it is possible to also read out the information if the distance to the final warning is less than or equal to 200 meters. In this case, there is either no instruction at the crossing, or there is one, but without the extra information.

Examples:

“After 300 meters, bear right” (no street name spoken)

“Bear right, Mr Visserplein” (street name spoken AT the crossing)

“After 100 meters, turn left, Amstelstraat” (speak street name, in case there is no instructions AT the crossing)

“After 100 meters, turn left, Amstelstraat” (no warning is given AT the crossing, because the former warning took too long)

“After 200 meters, turn left, Amstelstraat” (because the warning is <=200 m)

“Turn left” (no street name, 30 seconds rule)

For combined instructions of the type “after <distance> turn left into <streetname> then turn right into <streetname>”, the second street name is not spoken, unless the combined instructions are given at the crossing. This is because if a combined instruction is given at a crossing, it is likely that the instruction is not spoken again and one will never hear the street name.

Examples:

“After 100 meters, turn left, Amstel, then turn right” (second street not spoken)

“Turn right, Herengracht”

“Turn left, Spiegelgracht, then, turn right, Lijnbaansgracht”

“Turn left, Spiegelgracht, then, turn right, Lijnbaansgracht” (no instruction is given, because we immediately had to turn right).

For POI warnings, the following applies.

When this setting is ON (checkbox is selected) and the currently selected voice is a computer generated voice, a radio dialog appears with the following warning type options:

(*) Full warning (“Petrol station: 800 meters. Next opportunity: 20 kilometers”)

( ) Brief warning (“Petrol station, 800 meters”)

( ) Sound effect

( ) Type in your own warning

1. Full Warning: When full warning is selected for a certain POI type, the following sentence is read out (at the same moments/distances as the current POI warning sounds are given):

<POI Type> is the POI type for which the user selects the warning.

<Distance Unit> is one of the distance units meters/kilometers/yards/miles

<X> is the distance from current position to the POI

<Y> the distance from current position to the next POI of that type.

Example:

“Petrol station: 800 meters. Next opportunity: 20 kilometers”

2. Brief Warning

When Brief Warning is selected for a certain POI Type, the following sentence is read out (at the same moments/distances as the current POI Warning sounds are given):

<POI type> <X> <Distance Unit>

Example:

“Restaurant: 100 meters”.

3. Sound Effect

When Sound Effect is selected, the user is presented with the classic sound selector and the selected sound will be given at the same moment/distances as the current POI Warning sounds are given.

4. Type in Your Own Warning

When this setting is selected for a certain POI type, the user may type in a text, which will be read out when a POI warning is given.

Flash Messages: When this setting is ON (checkbox is selected), some blinking notices (Flash Messages) will be read out, e.g.:

-   -   No valid GPS signal!     -   Unable to set roadblock     -   Your GPS position is not on the route, cannot determine which         roads to block     -   No route planned!     -   You have already passed this point     -   You cannot avoid your destination     -   Route changed!     -   Route cleared . . .     -   No traffic information available for this region     -   Could not connect to service . . .     -   “Starting demo”     -   There are no destinations left to visit     -   Next itinerary location not on current map     -   No phone number available for POI     -   Your outbox is empty     -   Unable to call, there is no dial tone     -   Download of <xxx> has been cancelled     -   Download of <xxx> was successful

Other messages are within the scope of this application.

Tutorials: When this setting is ON (checkbox is selected), the text of a tutorial page (Guided Tour) will be read out when it is shown on the screen. When going to the next page or when the entire page has been read, the TTS voice stops reading the current page.

Tips: When this setting is ON (checkbox is selected), the text of the tip will be read out when it is shown on the screen. When the tip is clicked away by the user of when the entire tip has been read out, the computer generated voice stops reading the tip.

SMS: SMS reading may be done at two different levels: i. As soon as the SMS arrives (autoread) and ii. when pressing the button “read aloud” in your inbox/outbox.

1. AutoRead: When this setting is ON (checkbox is selected), and incoming SMS message will be read automatically as soon as it arrives, for example:

If the sender is known from the address book, the following sentence will be read out:

“Incoming message from Johnny: I'll arrive earlier today!”

If the sender is not known, the following sentence will be read out:

“Incoming message from <number>:<message>”

Example:

“Incoming message from 06557 40775: I'll arrive earlier today!”

When the message is clicked away or when the entire message has been read out, the computer generated voice stops reading the message.

2. Read aloud (inbox/outbox): When the user selects the message by mobile phone=>read/write message=>read inbox message, the following sentence will be read out:

“Message from <sendername_or_number>: <message>”

3. Special messages: It is possible for messages to be sent between devices which contain an indication of the specific position of the sender's device; in such cases the following sentence may be read out:

“This message contains a location”.

Weather: When this setting is ON (checkbox is selected), the weather information will be read out when it is shown on the screen.

Full sentence: “Weather report for today:<description>, <X> degrees <C/F>”.

Example:

“Weather report for today: Sunny, 19 degrees Celsius”

“Weather report for today: Sunny, 67 degrees Fahrenheit”.

For enhanced weather reports, the following sentences may be read out:

“Weather report for today <description>. Minimum temperature <X> degrees Celsius_or_Fahrenheit, Maximum temperature: <Y> degrees Celsius_or_Fahrenheit.”

When the page showing the weather is clicked away by the user or when the entire weather text has been read out, the computer generated voice stops reading the weather.

Traffic: Traffic information can be read out at two different levels: As soon as new traffic information is available after an update (AutoRead) and when activating a “Read Aloud Traffic Info” function embodied in the software:

1. AutoRead: When this setting is ON (checkbox is selected) and the checkbox “Beep when route traffic information changes” is selected, traffic information will be read out when new traffic information is available for the current route.

If a setting such as “automatically optimize after every update” is DISABLED, the following information may be read out: “Traffic situation on your route has changed”

And if a delay is known:

“total delay due to traffic now <delay>”, where delay is a time, for example 11 minutes.

When a setting such as “automatically optimize after every update” is ENABLED, the following information is read out: :“Traffic situation on your route has changed”, then “Recalculating route”, then when recalculating is finished, the following will be read out: “Your route has been recalculated. New arrival time is 11.45”, if the route was recalculated, and “Your route has been recalculated. It has not been changed.” If not.

2. A temporary screen function button may be displayed entitled “Read aloud traffic information”: When the “traffic” setting is enabled and said button is depressed, a sub-menu is displayed. There the button “read aloud traffic” can be selected, which has the effect of downloading the details of the incidents on your route will be and the message:

“Retrieving traffic information. One moment please”

Is read out.

Once all details of all the incidents are downloaded, the following may be read out for every incident on the route:

<description>, (on the <road number>), between <A>and <B>;

where

-   -   (on the <road number>), might not be available     -   “Between <A> and <B> could be replaced with “at A” (if just one         location is available).

Example:

“Retrieving traffic information, one moment please . . . ”

“Slow traffic, on the A1, between Harwich and Reading. Accident, on the A1 between London and Hemel Hempstead . . . ”

The first sentence (“Retrieving traffic information. One moment please”) could be cut off if all details are downloaded before the entire sentence has been spoken. When, for example, pressing the button a second time, it will be cut off immediately, because all details will already have been downloaded.

Priorities: The features are prioritized in the following order, meaning a route instruction will be given over a POI warning, etc.

1. Route Instructions

2. POI Warnings

3. Toll Charge

4. Traffic

5. SMS

6. Tips Tutorial/Weather

7. Test Button

8. Flash Messages

Of course any other priority order may be applied.

In the event that the user de-selects a computer generated voice and starts using a “human voice” again, some features may not be affected in that the text for such is simply not spoken

-   -   Tips     -   Flash Messages     -   Tutorial     -   Weather     -   SMS (inbox/outbox)

Other features may return to their default condition of being audibly notified to the user by means of a “beep”:

-   -   SMS (autoread)     -   Traffic     -   POI Warning Selection (BOING in this case)

Finally, the remaining features return to being audibly notified to the user by means of the pre-recorded “.wav” or “.mp3” files:

-   -   Route instructions 

1. A navigation device for producing sounds from data, comprising: a processor; an audio reproduction device to audibly reproduce digitally processed sounds; memory, including data stored therein, said data comprising at least one of: one or more text-based indicators; and one or more pre-recorded sounds; data transfer device to transfer the data between the processor and the memory, the processor being useable to use operating system software to control processing the flow of data between the processor and the memory and to control whether the processed sounds are audibly reproduced, the processor further being useable to repeatedly determine one or more physical conditions, which are then comparable with one or more reference values provided in the memory such that satisfaction of the one or more physical conditions gives rise to an event requiring a sound to be reproduced by the second device, the processor further being useable to use a TTS software component, which interacts with the operating system software or a program executing thereon, said operating system software or program executing thereon being useable by the processor to make the determination, according to input of a user of the processor-enabled device, whether the event should be audibly identified by way of at least one of one or more pre-recorded sounds stored on the navigation device and a sound digitally rendered by the TTS component from a text-based indicator retrieved from the database and appropriate for the event; and a radio-telecommunication device to allow the navigation device to determine traffic conditions along particular sections of a thoroughfare network represented by the data and to receive messages and other information through said radio-telecommunication device.
 2. A navigation device according to claim 1 wherein the operating system or program executing thereon is provided with further, more specific user input to permit a selection of the type of events which are to be audibly identified to the user.
 3. A navigation device according to claim 2 wherein the operating system or program executing thereon presents a set of options of specific different types of event which can be selected or de-selected, depending on user preference, for text delivery to the TTS software component.
 4. A navigation device according to claim 1 further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) device including a time signal retrieval device, and wherein the events which are ideally audibly identified to a user are direction instructions as the navigation device moves along a predetermined or pre-programmed route.
 5. A navigation device according to claim 4 wherein the data is representative of one or more maps of a thoroughfare network.
 6. A navigation device according to claim 5 wherein the map data is provided with a variety of different additional data which, during the journey, about which the user may or may not wish to be audibly informed, such additional data being chosen from the group containing: street names, building numbers, road numbers, points of interest (POI), signposts information.
 7. A navigation device according to claim 1 wherein the navigation device also permits a user to make a selection whether warnings retrieved through said radio-telecommunications device are audible.
 8. A navigation device according to claim 1 wherein the navigation device includes a graphical user interface, and the operating system or program executing thereon causes the display of one or more option selection pages by which the processor-enabled device can be informed whether to digitally render sound by way of the TTS component for one or more different event types requiring audible notification to the user, whether to recall one or more pre-recorded sounds to notify such events, or whether a combination of these operative embodiments is required.
 9. A navigation device according to claim 1 wherein the data is representative of one or more maps of a thoroughfare network.
 10. A navigation device according to claim 1 wherein the navigation device also permits user selection of whether device-based operational events are audibly identified.
 11. A non-transitory computer readable medium including program segments which, when executed on the navigation device of claim 1, enables the navigation device to produce sounds from data. 